If you drive slowly down Ballyteigue road, you might be able to spot two fascinating stone pillars, believed to be remnants of the Ballyteigue Castle demesne, another link to Kilmore Quay’s Norman heritage.
They can be hard to find at first, hidden behind the thick vegetation of the ditch. One is in poor condition and half-demolished, while the other still stands tall.
The history of these pillars is intertwined with that of Lough Har, a tidal inlet that once stretched between Bridgetown and Cullenstown.
Before the land was reclaimed in a 1847 project, Lough Har was a thriving hub for fishing and trade, a place where over 60 vessels and 100 men made their living by transporting goods like coal, hay, potatoes, oats, and slates.Norman pillars are known for being massive, sturdy, and often cylindrical. They were a key feature of Romanesque architecture, usually used to support the characteristic rounded arches of Norman castles and churches. While the pillars themselves may not be a major, standalone Norman monument, their connection to the Anglo-Norman Whitty family and the historic Ballyteigue Castle places them squarely within the Norman heritage of the Kilmore Quay area and deserves to be protected.
